There is no doubt that every Conservative County Councillor either re-elected or newly elected is deeply honoured to have the trust of the people in Essex. Personally, I have been proud to have been elected to Essex County Council for 16 years and now have the opportunity to serve the people of my Division for another four. This is echoed by everyone of my colleagues.

We do not take that trust for granted and we return as the Administration at County Hall with renewed enthusiasm to continue our programme of investing heavily in our front line services.

Our economy is doing well in Essex and we have one of the lowest unemployment figures in the country. We shall build on this success and work to attract large and medium sized companies to the county and create new jobs and opportunities for people, plus we shall continue to assist existing companies to grow and support start-ups because Essex is the entrepreneurial county in the UK.

Caring for older and vulnerable people is at the heart of all that we do and we shall ensure that we invest in existing and new technologies to bring first class services to everyone who needs care in Essex.

Roads are vital for residents and businesses alike and we are proud of the investment we have made into our main roads. Currently local roads are being resurfaced and repaired. This will continue and high quality maintenance is a cornerstone of this promise.

Our children deserve a world class education and I am proud of the way Essex has performed with all our schools doing well. This is a great achievement by the children themselves and their teachers. We will ensure this is maintained by building new schools and expanding existing ones to make sure that no-one is left behind in our growing population.